How Houston Humane Society Helped a Veteran Adopt His Emotional Support Cat

At Houston Humane Society, our mission is to protect and improve the well-being of animals and the people who care for them. We strive to keep pets and their families together whenever possible. 

 

Thanks to our amazing donors and Greater Good Charities, we are able to support community pet owners in need through our Pet Pantry program. 

 

One of our Pet Pantry clients, a veteran named Jay, sat down to share his story on how Houston Humane Society made it possible for him to adopt his kitty companion named Abu.

 

 

“I’m a Senior Citizen, who also is an Air Force Veteran. I’ve lived in Houston for almost 3 yrs. I moved here from Austin almost 3 yrs ago. I wasn’t planning on staying here more than a couple years, but things changed in the past year.

 

After talking with my psychiatrist, we both agreed I needed a furry companion, an emotional support animal, and a cat would work perfectly where I live. I thought about it for several months. I checked online for about 4 months. There were supposed to be places that would assist Seniors with pet ownership, but I found nearly nothing in Texas, until I came upon the Humane Society’s website. 

 

As it was around Christmas, I saw that they had an offer to get a cat with waived fees for certain cats. I went in on 29 December and found my forever cat, Abu. I checked several other cats, but Abu was the friendliest and came right down to me. I felt very good about asking for him. 

 

I was given the waiver for fees, which helped me out tremendously. Being a Senior Citizen and Veteran I live on a fixed budget. I had already started my application for the pantry prior to adopting Abu. I wanted a cat that was already fixed and fully checked out and vaccinated. I knew he’d be kept inside as I’ve had so many times seen so many cats get fatally killed by vehicles or other predators in an area that they’re left to roam. So, having all the fees waived helped tremendously in my being able to adopt Abu to be my companion now! 

 

It was wonderful to have the Humane Society’s help. I got a small scratching post; a litter box; a couple of food bowls; some treats and both canned food and dry kibble to help start us out. And I’m still receiving a monthly allowance from them to help subsidize the cost to keep him.

 

I had worried prior to this, that I wouldn’t be able to afford getting a new pet, due to financial reasons, i.e. getting them neutered/spayed and the health screening plus all their vaccinations. That was all taken care of through the help of the Houston Humane Society. I am forever in their debt!

 

If and when my financial circumstances change, I will donate to help them out. For right now, I’m grateful for their help with getting me the emotional support I needed. He’s really been a great addition to my family household!”

 

Stories like the one Mr. Jay shared are the reason why we do what we do.

 

 

If you know someone in the Houston community who needs assistance with pet supplies and food, click here.

 

If you’d like to support our programs, click here.